The Toll of the Great Recession

Good points OTN,
For the last five years, the Keynes style stimulus spending has been our economic policy, spend $3 for every $2 you take in. Worked to a limited extend, didn't go into a depression, but unemployment is still unreasonably high. The official rate is above 7%, but millions more people aren't working who did have jobs six years ago. Real rate is closer to 15% and many of them haven't worked in years.

So should we spend $4 for every $2 we take in? Or close tax loopholes and raise rates to discourage new investment?

Japan tok the 4/2 policy and their economy is still stagnant with deflation.
Europe is taking the austerity road and lowering spending while increasing fees and taxes. They are slipping back to recession.

Maybe the traditional tools to climb out of economic malaise aren't working anymore? Even the vibrant economies of Asia like India and China are starting to slip back to single digit growth.

Prediction: The American economy will get better, but I don't think we will ever see the boom of the Clinton years for a long time.

Young people voting for Obama? Maybe they aren't voting for his economic policy, maybe they feel insecure and voted for the guy who promised them the more free stuff like Pell Grants, EBT card's, extended unemployment.

I just started bringing a new and unique product the the US market from Japan. Made sure that it was made using fair pay and labor standards before importing. This fair trade will help both countries.

I would have just made it here myself, if not for patents and the ownership of ideas. Another concept I hate, but yet I am about to profit off of because there is no other way. Again I feel bad for those that are not willing to do this, only willing to try and find jobs and those being regulated away.

Fair trade is the solution, fair trade is not forced or restricted. We don't have fair trade in most transactions. Fair trade locally or afar, fair competition, etc. How can the US trade fair and compete when it handicaps itself with regulations that we don't enforce on imports?

I guess now I am in the import/export business - just feels so Seinfeld.

They say, if goods don't cross borders, armies will. Our goods are not being exported, so we export the soldiers. Our goods are not being traded as much as we want domestically...again send out the soldiers.

Where is all the data the LJ was talking about, the ones showing how well the economy is doing due to the govt doing things more and more her way by the day. I guess why does she come on here with all the complaints when things are going her way. Oh wait, she wants the same bad policies to product different results this time, that must be what she is complaining about, that her policies are not getting results, they are getting us right where we are now a poor economy if you are poor and a rich economy if you are rich, by design. I thought that was the problem she was trying to address with the policies. There it is again, solving the problem by doing what you did to start the problem, just talk about it like it is good and it will be good.

We all good?

on that note wrote: I just started bringing a new and unique product the the US market from Japan. Made sure that it was made using fair pay and labor standards before importing. This fair trade will help both countries.

I would have just made it here myself, if not for patents and the ownership of ideas. Another concept I hate, but yet I am about to profit off of because there is no other way. Again I feel bad for those that are not willing to do this, only willing to try and find jobs and those being regulated away.

Fair trade is the solution, fair trade is not forced or restricted. We don't have fair trade in most transactions. Fair trade locally or afar, fair competition, etc. How can the US trade fair and compete when it handicaps itself with regulations that we don't enforce on imports?

I guess now I am in the import/export business - just feels so Seinfeld.

They say, if goods don't cross borders, armies will. Our goods are not being exported, so we export the soldiers. Our goods are not being traded as much as we want domestically...again send out the soldiers.

Where is all the data the LJ was talking about, the ones showing how well the economy is doing due to the govt doing things more and more her way by the day. I guess why does she come on here with all the complaints when things are going her way. Oh wait, she wants the same bad policies to product different results this time, that must be what she is complaining about, that her policies are not getting results, they are getting us right where we are now a poor economy if you are poor and a rich economy if you are rich, by design. I thought that was the problem she was trying to address with the policies. There it is again, solving the problem by doing what you did to start the problem, just talk about it like it is good and it will be good.

We all good?

Well said